Jonathan

I'm scheduled for surgery tomorrow morning at 7:30 to have my band removed. I'll post tomorrow evening, assuming all goes well and I'm able to. I have to admit, I'm a little nervous. It was so exciting getting the band put in, that any fear I had about surgery or recovery was easily set aside... now there's really nothing to look forward to. Anyway, it is what it is. Win some, lose some. Jonathan

My throat hurts worse than my stomach. It's almost as if they shoved some tube down it and then ripped it back out. :hat: My incisions don't hurt, but man are they uuuuuugly. I'm afraid it's going to be some time again before I'm the sexiest thing on the beach. I have one place inside me that hurts really badly. Everytime I move it hurts it. I'm guessing it's some place that got bruised pretty badly during the surgery. I think it's getting better, but it's enough to make me happy enough to take my hydrocodone every 4 hours. Mostly, I'm just looking forward to eating steak again. :hungry: I'm healing. I guess that's all I'm supposed to be doing right now =) Jonathan

I was banded in Richardson, Texas, on January 31st, 2005. I had my band removed in Dallas, Texas on March 14th, 2006, and at my request they sent the band home with me in a specimin cup. It is cut to pieces, and unusable, of course, but it's all there; band, tube, and port. Jonathan

Right after I had my band put in (1/31/2005) I was very sick for 2 weeks. I threw up constantly, most likely due to extra restriction caused by the swelling that resulted from surgery, and a band that was probably too small for me. The constant throwing up (I wasn't able to even keep down my own saliva) probably led to a slip. However, because my doctor didn't do fills under flouroscopy, the slip wasn't caught until Thanksgiving of last year, when I went for my first fill under flouroscopy. After the slip was discovered, they removed all saline from the band and put me on a liquid diet for a week. In that time, the band *did* slip back. However, shortly after receiving my first fill, the band slipped again. Because the band slipped twice, there was no hope that it would remain in place, even if it did slip back on its own. The sliding up and down the track that the band was on created scar tissue that enabled slipping. I had the option to have my surgeon try to repair this band, but in cases like this, they usually want you to have the band removed and wait six months and try again. I was also given the option to revise from lapband to another WLS (the one offered to me was RNY, and I didn't pursue the route to see if other bypass surgeries, like DS, would be covered). I'm done with the band. My experience wasn't as bad as some have had, but it was bad enough that I'm not interested in ever having it again. I ddn't lose much weight with it, I was miserable after surgery, miserable many times during the course of the year I had it, and it was a serious hindrance to losing weight once it slipped. For me, once it slipped, I had no restriction when it came to any food I could eat, but it prevented me from eating some foods -- like salad (lettuce, specifically), brocolli, many other vegatables and fruits. So, that's my story, more or less. In a few days, I'm going to post a rather long post detailing what I've learned in the past year, in hopes that it will help those who are currently banded, those who are considering banding, and those who have lost their bands. I feel like I've learned a lot, and want to be able to share it with whoever is interested. Hope this answers some questions for people. Peace, Jonathan

I'll spend some time tomorrow answering questions, but I'm home now, and everything went pretty well. I send many thanks to you all for your prayers and/or good thoughts. Blessings, Jonathan

That reminds me of an acronym I learned once... it's HALT. The theory, is that binge eating is often triggered by someone getting too Hungry Angry Lonely or Tired It sounds like maybe the T is getting to you, Paula. However, at this point, since it's been going on for three weeks, you've moved beyond the point that knowing what's "eating you" will just make you stop ... um ... eating. After 3 weeks, it's habitual -- as you said, an addiction. You're among people who aren't very good at breaking the food habit, so, at the very least, you're in good company. While we all send you our prayers and/or good wishes, let me shine light on the pitfall that gets me EVERY time I get into your predicament: Don't focus on having a perfect day. I know that may seem counterproductive, but that line of thinking is one of the things that has kept me trapped in my cycle time and time again. I want the one perfect day to get me started on my "diet", and I might do fine until 6:00 PM, but then I eat a bite of candy that I shouldn't have had, and since my "perfect day" is ruined, I decide that I might as well eat whatever I want for the rest of the day and try for my "perfect day" tomorrow. Rather than focusing on having a perfect day, just focus on making your next choice the right one. If at some point you fail, keep your eyes on the ball, and focus on making your *next* choice the right one. If you want some accountability (something that always works for me), find someone to send a food journal to. Be honest and write down EVERYTHING that goes into your mouth, and share it openly. Beyond that, I probably have nothing useful to offer you -- but that's ok, because you don't need it. You have everything you need inside you -- that's more than obvious by the success you've had and the help that you've offered to so many of us on LBT. We love you, and we're all sending nothing but good thoughts your way. Jonathan

What an absolute ass. I hope his smugness gives you extra motivation when you need it most. Blessings, Jonathan

Paula, First, let me tell you that I miss you. We need to catch up sometime. Second, let me tell you something that you already know: That kind of eating (the kind that we've all done) (usually) isn't about being hungry. It's not about craving toast for the first time in a year, it's not about inhaling cereal, dare I say it -- it's not even about chocolate. It's about something else. And only you can know what that something else is. Of course, the real problem with that is that sometimes we don't even know what's driving us to that behavior, but most of the time, it's not buried that far under the surface. For me, binge eating (granted, binging with the band is something entirely different in form than binging without the band, but in *essence*, it's very similar) is an alternative to something else that I need to do -- like, face someone, something, or some emotion that I'd rather hide from. When I'm in that state, I'm usually in a state that requires some action, and because I don't want to take action against or for whatever is REALLY bothering me, I turn to my crutch, my nemesis, my friend, my liberator, that which binds me, my drug -- food. While I certainly can't know what you're going through right now, I don't think we're completely different people. So maybe that's something we have in common. Is there something going on right now in your life that requires you to do something you don't want to? Are you going through any signficant changes? If so, what would it take for you to address whatever that issue might be? Sometimes just having a plan is enough to get us back on track. If nothing comes to mind, maybe you need to have a nice long conversatoin with a friend, or a therapist, or a pastor, or your dog/cat/guinia pig/hamster/whatever =) Sometimes we just need help opening up to figure out what's REALLY eating us -- no pun intended. Peace to you, Jonathan

I really do understand what you're going through, Kelly -- at least in part. I'm pretty frustrated with the whole thing too, though I haven't been at it as long as you. I'm frustrated that I can't eat brocolli or salad or a slew of other foods that would be very good for me, but I just can't get down past the band. I'm frustrated with the constant fills and unfills, with the intermittent pain involved in taking a bite that was chewed 3 times less than it needed to be, and with a lot of other things. For what it's worth, I had the "won't it just slip again" talk with my doctor, since my band unslipped once, then slipped back into place. He assured me that by undoing the band, repositioning it, reclosing it, and sewing the stomach around the band correctly that the chances of the band slipping would be no more than in any patient. I just decided that it wasn't even worth the 1%-2% chance of that -- not combined with all the frustration I've already been through, and the less-than-stellar results I've had with the band. You have to make your own decision of course, and most people here (if not all) will support you either way. I certainly do. Jonathan

That's interesting about the band. I wonder what I could show to my surgeon/hospital that would convince them to let me keep it...

Hey Jack, I'll answer a couple of these, from my situation, and then we can see if dishdiva's answers correspond. First, the band, once removed, is biohazardous medical waste, and is disposed of. That is non-optional. And, for me, my surgeon will bill the surgery as a "bowl obstruction" or "unexplained abdominal pain exploratory surgery" or something around those lines, so even if someone's insurance didn't cover putting a band in, it would most likely cover having it removed, as long as there was a medical necessity for it.

I'm still trying to decide what to do about my band. It appears that I have three options: 1) Have the band removed 2) Have the band removed and at the same time revise to RNY 3) Have the band removed and a VG put in. The hope of option #3 would be that the VG would be the right band for me and wouldn't slip. There is a chance that they couldn't put a VG in right away, and I'll end up bandless for a few months anyway while my "innards" heal. Of course, I'm not exactly thrilled at the idea of getting a new band when I've had so many problems with this one, so this isn't my top option. I've thought long and hard about option #2, but to be honest, I think I've eliminated it. The statistics scare me. Although they vary, one that I've read a few times is that 90% of RNY patients gain back 50% of the weight they lose after 2 years. I can't imagine going through all that to lose 100 lbs, then gain 50 of it back. That leaves option #1 -- have the band removed, and try, again, to figure out how to do this on my own. I'm not sure why I'm posting this, there's really nothing anyone can do or say, but sometimes it's good just to get it down on "paper". =) Jonathan

I'm at SMU 4 days a week, and stay in Plano 2 days a week, so I feel comfortable claiming the Dallas/Ft.Worth area as my home =)

If there's not someone in your immediate vicinity that you could give them to, I'd throw them away. I know that my addiction to food, especially things like Girl Scout Cookies would prevent me from acting responsible around them. It's not worth the money, the calories -- or what it does to us, mentally, when we fail in our attempt to avoid temptation -- to keep them around and see what happens. Maybe I'm taking this too seriously, but for me, it's a serious issue. I *can't* have stuff like that around. For me, it would be like an alcoholic keeping beer in the fridge.

I'm scheduled for band removal on Tuesday, March 14th. I've been in a pretty intensive spiritual program for the past few weeks and have made serious progress in my personal weight loss journey. I have high hopes that I, like so many from this board who have lost their bands, can be one of the 5-10% who keep the weight off and continue losing. If it's ok with you all, I won't just disappear after my band does. I've been part of this community for a while now, and feel that I still have something to give back to it. Jonathan

Mmmm 12000 calories. Dairy Queen, here I come!

Anthony, We're not talking about the VBG. We're talking about the VanGuard lapband. It's the largest of the Inamed lapbands (11 MM, I believe, 10 CC capacity), and is less prone to slipping than the 9.75 and 10 MM bands.

I was actually curious about Gwendolyn's experience, since her sickness came right after surgery. Not that I'm not very interested in your experience too =) The opinion of a few doctors and xray techs who have done my flouroscopies is that the band the doctor put in me was too small for me. I was curious as to whether Gwnedolyn's doctor had mentioned anything like that. I'm really just wondereding if my doctor made a mistake, and if he did, what that means, if anything.

It slipped back into place after a week of liquids, but then slipped again a month later. Even if it slipped back now, it would just slide again. Once it starts slipping like this, my doctor tells me, it creats a track of scar tissue that facilitates the movement. Mine will have to be removed.

Oops, wrong week =) I was there the week before. 2/8. (And today.) I guess we didn't cross paths. =)

Hi, I can't help you, but you should try posting in either the Maryland forum, or the fill forum. This particular forum is for FAQs and Reference materials, so you won't get the same audience as you will if you post in the other forums. Jonathan

Just out of curiosity, did your doctor give you a reason as to why you were so sick? That's exactly what happened to me right after surgery, but my doctor didn't do an xray, and I didn't find out until 10 months later when I had my first fill under flouroscopy.

There's a saying in AA and other 12 step groups.... "self knowledge avails us nothing". I don't particulary like that saying, and I think there's a great deal to be gained in self exploration; however, in a way, it makes sense. Like you, I know (or think I know) exactly what caused my food addiction -- but that isn't what perpetuates it. So in a way, that knowledge hasn't helped cure me of my food addiction. And, like you, I'm never "full" until I've eaten enough food for a family. The band, when it works, fixes that. It's a different "full", but it's still a message to the brain -- something I lacked pre-band. Anyway, I'm with ya. The "Why are you fat" thread has really explored this issue. It's probably a good thread to chew on, and add your story to, if you wish. http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=5223 Peace, Jonathan

Banana's aren't good diet food. On diabetic diets they count as 2 fruit exchanges, on the new Weight Watchers diets they are 2 points, as opposed to 1 like most other fruits. Not only do they have twice as many calories, but their glycemic index is very high. They aren't too highly recommended for losing weight. Except with the band. =) I think they're a great band food. If the band is working properly, you're not going to be able to eat much more than a banana, and they are, as others have said, very sweet and very satisfying. My stomach's so messed up right now that they're one of the only fruits I *can* eat. For some reason, I can't get any skin down (apples, grapes, etc.). You can peel an apple, but peeling those grapes takes FOREVER. =)

Not drinking while eating is one of the absolute major bandster rules. I'm really sorry you're this far out and hadn't been told that by your doctor yet. Letha's right, of course (when isn't she =) ), drinking while you eat just flushes everything through the band and makes it like you didn't even have it. And drinking after you eat does the same thing. You want the food on top of the band for as long as possible so you feel "full". By the way, I was in the fill center at SCOR on 2/15 too. =) I love those guys. Best wishes, Jonathan